Host said: What are typical executive assistant salaries? Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

I was curious just to see where I line up and came across this post. I work in the DC metro area, have 9 years experience reporting to the head of HR for a medium sized financial company and make 62K plus 10-20% bonus.

All the salary 'calculators' I find are WAY under this, most top out around 45K.. which I passed 4-5 years ago (since then I've changed markets which increased my base by approx 25%).

Wow! I currently make $47K in NC and have never heard of an EA making that kind of money. What skills must one possess to pull in that kind of salary? Because I want to go there!

Elise28 in Arlington, Virginia said: I was curious just to see where I line up and came across this post. I work in the DC metro area, have 9 years experience reporting to the head of HR for a medium sized financial company and make 62K plus 10-20% bonus.

All the salary 'calculators' I find are WAY under this, most top out around 45K.. which I passed 4-5 years ago (since then I've changed markets which increased my base by approx 25%).

Donna O in High Point, North Carolina said: Wow! I currently make $47K in NC and have never heard of an EA making that kind of money. What skills must one possess to pull in that kind of salary? Because I want to go there!

Some of the high level things I do are creation of the budget spreadsheet and then I manage our departmental expenditures to it. I do alot of Powerpoints, Excel spreadsheets, presentations for the board of directors, relationship management for my boss, of course, travel & expense reports...

Alot of it has to do with where you are working, location, size of company, level of your boss, these are all huge factors. You can be doing the exact same thing for a GM of a small plant as for the Prez of a Fortune 100 company, not a lot of difference in actual things you do, just have to be more polished and professional and can't have any screw ups for the bigger position... but you can make at least $50K more....

Sometimes the higher paid jobs will expect you to work the same hours as your boss, which can be a killer... I've learned to set appropriate expectations at the beginning of a new position to keep that from happening.

Interesting. in six years, my position has actually migrated from being an EA and into Marketing as Marketing Coordinator. Throughout my career as Admin Asst and EA, I've done very few PPTs, no Excel spreadsheets to speak of, and in the marketing arena, I will be doing more of each, but not a great deal. (What is relationship management?) I miss being an EA, and would love to go back to doing that, but sounds like I need much more experience in PPT, Excel and presentations to pull my current salary, and then some. T&E reports - I do all the time. In previous AA and EA positions, I actually dealt more with people than I do now - I really miss that. I think you are correct - it all depends on the size of the company, the level of the exec you work for, the city you work in...Thanks - most helpful info and kudos to you!

I agree that most salary calculators are way under what I see in the Metro NY area. I've seen upwards of $90 for a financial company EA - but in the world of advertising (where I am) it's usually lower - since most "creative" jobs tend not to pay as well.

It totally depends on the area, size of company, and level of executive you support. Average EA salaries in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley is in the $50k - $100+k (for CEO EA) range. I've also noticed that the salary calculators are way low regardless of these factors.

The monster.com salary calculator is worthless. Don't believe it. EA's can earn a very lucrative income; it depends on the company.

The funny thing about EA job postings: You'll see tons of jobs that they call Executive Assistant, ask for the world, and then offer $40k or $45k salary. Those companies will never attract real talent. However, there are other companies that realize the value of a top notch EA and the salary reflects it. Admittedly, there are more of the former, but be patient and wait for the right job. Taking one of the lower paying positions is a decision you will live to regret.

I agree regarding taking a lower paid position when you have the experience that should demand a higher pay. The fact that they don't respect the position enough to pay a fair wage speaks volumes, they very likely will not respect your contributions as well.

I think it is going to depend on a lot of factors such as geographical area, experience, type of company, and the economy. With so many companies downsizing I feel lucky just to have a job! From what I have seen in the Midwest most EA salary ranges are between $45K to $65K.

I work in the entertainment field in Los Angeles. This year I earned over 108k with a decent amt of overtime. In the current economic climate all our overtime has been cut and our salaries will decrease by about 35 or 40%. I have been an EA for over 15 years. Yes, the cost of living in LA is high. Yes, it's stressful. Yes, I love my job.

I make a little over $80k + bonus+ stock options, however, I have found this to be high in San Diego for the most part. There's a little thing we call the "Sunshine Tax" and that means the cost of living is extremely high relative to wages. Most jobs I see advertised for EA's here tend to be $45-65k with no bonuses or stock options.

Out of curiosity, what is your background (re: qualifications)? There seems to be a real disparity out there when EAs can have only a high school degree and are not particularly top performers, yet they are paid high wages. (I am not inferring this is the case for you. You appear to have top notch skills.) This is opposed to others who have multiple degrees, are top performers, and paid only half what the high school grads get. So, I'm curious what those who earn $80-90K per year have as qualifications (including education). That would be a tremendous salary and make the job very worthwhile.

I have a BA and was about 20 credits shy of my M.Ed. when I abruptly moved from WA to CA to get married. Previously, I had worked as a Program Manager at a University, and these skills landed me the role as "ExecutiveAdministrator to the CEO" of a publicly traded company. Education is clearly important, but I have found it is the ability to problem solve and cogitate like a chess player....always 3 or 4 moves ahead of the boss, in terms of anticipating needs and tying up loose ends. There is also a personality component --I am comfortable around other executives (read: men) without being overly gratuitous or a "yes-man (yes-woman?)" I think my boss respects that. Keep in mind people, that those executives who have high power positions, have the need and authority to pay for top quality individuals. There aren't many of these jobs, but they *do* exist. Having said that I expect if I were suddenly out looking for a job in the near future, it would take 6 months to a year to find another suitable position.

Curioius in Indianapolis, Indiana said: Out of curiosity, what is your background (re: qualifications)? There seems to be a real disparity out there when EAs can have only a high school degree and are not particularly top performers, yet they are paid high wages. (I am not inferring this is the case for you. You appear to have top notch skills.) This is opposed to others who have multiple degrees, are top performers, and paid only half what the high school grads get. So, I'm curious what those who earn $80-90K per year have as qualifications (including education). That would be a tremendous salary and make the job very worthwhile.

Curioius in Indianapolis, Indiana said: Out of curiosity, what is your background (re: qualifications)? There seems to be a real disparity out there when EAs can have only a high school degree and are not particularly top performers, yet they are paid high wages. (I am not inferring this is the case for you. You appear to have top notch skills.) This is opposed to others who have multiple degrees, are top performers, and paid only half what the high school grads get. So, I'm curious what those who earn $80-90K per year have as qualifications (including education). That would be a tremendous salary and make the job very worthwhile.

I have not been to this forum in quite awhile & just read your post. The first thing I need to mention is that I do not believe you have a clear perception of what a Sr. Executive Assistant job entails. This is apparent by your comment "..they are not top performers.." I don't even really know what you meant by that, but EA positions definitely are filled by "top performers". No, you do not need a college degree in many (although most do request it), but you do need experience, skills, talent, intelligence, professionalism, among many other attributes. I personally have several years of college, but no degree. However, I have never ceased to obtain continuing education and stay current on everything related to my profession. The lack of a degree has never hurt me because my skills and experience are top notch. I have been contacted to interview for EA positions that pay from $80k to above $100k in various areas (mainly SEA, PDX, SFO, LAS). I made it to the final round of interviews for several prestigous positions - which unfortunately only one person would succeed & this time it wasn't me. I'm actively looking for a top position, and I'm certain I will land one. There are just fewer of them today due to the high level of unemployment, and it will take longer to find the right one. I have researched other professions & th

...the thought of finishing college. However, it just doesn't make sense to do so when I can earn more in this profession than in many of the others I researched. I also get to work in a beautiful environment. (You have to admit...the executive staff usually has the nicest surroundings.)

I should mention that the salary is dependent upon the location (area of the U.S.), the industry, the organization, the job requirements, & your experience/skills. For instance, in PDX you will not find salaries above $70k (rare) & most will be between $50k-$60k with many others advertised that pay below $50k (not true EA positions likely, or strong organizations). You can find top EA positions in SEA that pay $70k-$100k, and also many lower paying positions between $45k-$50k - it all depends on the job requirements & the company. SFO - you can find very well paying EA jobs, $80k-$100k+, but they also do not come along every day - in addition the cost of living in SFO is extremely high. SEA is also quite high, although lower than SFO, but higher than PDX.

These top paying jobs are not the average pay for an EA. I am not implying that. However, they definitely do exist.

I agree, the salary and perks depend upon the type of company you work for and geographical location. I feel that I am well compensated, and in return my employer get's above average performance from me. I definitely encourage continuing education and forum discussion to make sure you are keeping up current technology and to measure where you fall in the scheme of things. Being an EA requires planning, foresight, anticipation and task completion. In addition, it helps to listen, analyze and work to make your Exec look good.